While lithium-ion may dominate today’s battery world, lead-acid chemistries still quietly power large swaths of modern life. From starting your car to keeping industrial machines running and ensuring critical systems and data centers have backup power, lead-acid remains a go-to technology.
Lead-acid is popular for a reason: it’s inexpensive and easy to produce. But its low upfront costs mask a much higher long-term cost. Lead-acid batteries have shorter lifespans, lower energy densities and require more maintenance compared to newer technologies. They’re inefficient, less reliable and most importantly, harmful to the environment.
It’s time to move on from this outdated technology. This Earth Day, we’re focusing on how industries that rely on lead-acid can turn to the more sustainable solutions that are available today.
Lead-acid advocates lean on the data point that their batteries are 99% recyclable. But the process of manufacturing — and recycling — lead-acid is far from clean. It all starts from the beginning: in the mines. Lead mining and processing expose workers and surrounding communities to toxic pollutants. With more than 80% of global lead consumption going into battery production alone, their creation keeps a toxic industry afloat.
Recycling itself poses another risk. The recycling process for lead-acid is highly regulated in the U.S. — in most states, it’s illegal to dispose of used lead-acid batteries in regular trash. A single battery in a landfill can impact a large area. But globally, improper recycling and disposal can contaminate soil, groundwater and air. One study found that lead-acid recycling is the most polluting industrial process worldwide.
The good news is we don’t have to rely on lead-acid forever. Modern lithium-ion batteries and other emerging chemistries can replace toxic lead-acid with a more sustainable solution, along with improved performance, longer life cycles, and even lower costs. Today’s technology innovations are unlocking new levels of sustainability that can propel us toward a better energy future.
For example, 24M’s LiForever recycling process sets a new standard by keeping active materials in their original form. This avoids black mass and enables the reuse of over 90% of the battery cell. While often cheaper battery materials like LFP don’t get recycled due to expensive and complex recycling processes, LiForever makes it possible to recover and reuse them efficiently and sustainably.
Another innovation, 24M ETOP (Electrode-to-Pack), helps reduce waste in battery design. By packaging electrodes directly into the battery pack, you bypass the need for individual cells and modules. This eliminates unnecessary cell materials to reduce waste and maximize energy density.
Lead-acid isn’t usually the focus of battery sustainability efforts. But replacing them could have a measurable, lasting impact on toxic environmental pollution and public health. With proven, scalable alternatives available today, there’s little reason to rely on outdated technology.
As the energy transition accelerates, innovation makes it easier and smarter to leave lead-acid behind so we can build a future that’s cleaner, safer and more sustainable.
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